Protégé V3
by asymmetricalpasta03
Summary: New V3s have arrived! *Someone* has to show them the ropes. I refuse to make this a yaoi. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but it got long and I ran out of ideas. Better summary perhaps to come.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey all...at school. Hasn't started to suck yet, but I anticipate it. Anyway, here's another project I probably won't finish anytime soon. I'm thinking about working on some of the song series next weekend, after the first round of classes. Or I'll work on this. Ok: read now. :D_

* * *

I remembered my first day at the house. It was so much emptier back then. I showed up with my three sisters and we were immediately given a mentor, one of the older singers. I hated that period of my life. Kaito had ice cream on the brain 24/7 and only stopped to sing and sleep, probably dreaming about ice cream. I always told my (actual) sister Rin I hated him. She said things would get better. Only good piece of advice she ever really gave me. Of course, it didn't happen until after probation period and Kaito had moved on to his new protégé, Gakupo-san. I tended to like people better when I wasn't forced to spend every moment with them. But that was when I was the younger.

The "parent's" name was Yamaha; at least that's what everyone called it. Anyway, as you're probably aware, there are three different engines. The V3, the newest, has already spit out a – shall I say, colorful? – cast of characters. Unfortunately, that means more probies. And we'd have to be mentors.

Our master told us that he wanted to utilize the V2 Vocaloids as much as possible. Apparently I was the only one who wasn't excited about it.

They all arrived in one big clump, save 2 that were still getting worked out. Front of the pack were Gumi, Lily, Mizki and Yuuma, all back from being the first old voices to get their makeovers.

"Hellooo!" Gumi trilled from the lead.

"Still don't have 'official' designs, I see," Leon-sama said to Yuuma, ruffling his hair, much to Yuuma's annoyance.

"What's your opinion of the new ones?" Miku-nee asked Lily.

"Well, like all of us at first: they're good, but they need a lot of help." Lily turned to face the little crowd come out of the bus after her.

They filed out fairly single-file. Each one had on (mostly) her face anywhere between excitement and terror. They stood in a little clump behind the four we knew. Gumi, being the way she is, stepped forward cheerfully.

"Look, I told you, they don't bite! Well, maybe Meiko, but only during that _one exception_ I mentioned – " she said rapidly before Meiko herself kicked her over and planted her foot in her back.

"_What have you been telling them about me, Megumi?_" she asked threateningly.

"So," Miku-nee said, stepping forward, "You all excited to be here?"

About half of them just ogled her stupidly, looking amazed that she was speaking to them like that. All except one with black hair and a carrier, one with a long red ponytail, and one with rainbow bangs who was looking at something else entirely. I went back to Meiko stomping on Gumi.

"Alright," said the androgynous voice of Master. Today he appeared to us tall and faceless, like this one western mythical monster I read about (though Ann told me not to). Not the first time he's done it, but it managed to scare me every time.

"Newbies," he needlessly gestured to the group. "So: all the V2 get a V3 until we run out. You four," he said, addressing the revamped V2s, "collect yours."

Yuuma went to stand under a tree. Gumi gestured and the one with the orangy hair and blue striped dress went to her as the red-haired one crossed to Lily. Mizki collected the tall one with the carrier.

"How come he doesn't have one?" I said, pointing to the normally-faceless Yuuma.

"Because you were all assigned them. And I ran out before reaching VY2. Now: Al, you're first."

"Big" Al, as we called him, went to Master. Then he started talking in English and I couldn't get much after that until he came back followed by a kid dressed like a sailor. The boy smiled at us nervously. My sister waved a bit.

Miku was next and thrilled. She was assigned one who looked out of place, scared out of her wits, and a lot like Miku-nee. My sister got paired with the overly-excited purple one in the front. A shy-but-excited looking blue girl got stuck with Yuki of all people. Then I stopped paying attention to everyone else's because I had problems of my own now.

"Len-kun," Master called. Great. As I approached he brought from the ever-dwindling group a small ginger kid, couldn't have been older than ten.

"Okay, but why can't Yuuma have him?"

"I figured you were more experienced, having been around longer. Plus, you're closer to his age."

How old was Yuuma, anyway? But I digress. Then he called up Luka, who I believe was assigned 2 because they were running out of mentors. I didn't learn until later he was trying to keep them in their gender and language. Which is why a majority of Engloids and Kaito had no urchin V3 stuck to them.

I stood there and pretended to watch the rest of the assignments, while in reality I was watching the kid out of the corner of my eye. He was looking in the same direction as me. I think he just didn't know where else to look.

All I came away from that meeting with was the knowledge I was stuck with the kid for two months. I didn't even come away with the kid. I had already forgotten about him and walked off back to my plans for the rest of the day. I only realized I'd left him when I heard his quick, light feet behind me.

I turned to him standing behind me, looking a bit scared that I'd left him behind. I looked him over, thinking about his feet, and this popped out:

"You sure you're a boy?"

He looked completely offended by it and I didn't care. "I'm sure! I know what I am."

"Trust me: you know nothing yet." And I was stuck with this project. Lovely.


	2. Chapter 2

I layed out across the couch; no one else was around. Most of them were outside. Which is where I'd hoped this little bother would go.

But no, he sat at the end of the couch where my feet didn't reach. He stayed quiet, but that didn't make him any less of an irritant. He looked around every once in a while, as though contemplating if he should leave, but then thinking he really shouldn't. Which he was right, of course: if anyone caught him out of my company without good reason, they _could_ potentially tell on us, and we'd both be in trouble. He could go if I said he could, but the fix wouldn't be permanent, and it clashed with my strong desire not to talk to him.

About an hour passed with no sound except that of whatever was going on outside and upstairs. But good things can't stay forever, I suppose.

"So, Onii-sama – "

"Look, kid, I ain't your brother." I said, finally looking down to where he sat. An deep flush rose up his face and he looked away quickly.

"Right…of course. Okay, then…Kagamine-senpai. Is this all you do?"

"Mostly," said a voice above my head before I could answer. I sat up slightly and turned around to see my sister, closely followed by her violet companion. The violet girl waved energetically at my kid; he didn't look nearly as excited to see her as she did him.

"Funny, Sis."

"Just speaking the truth, here!" Rin leaned over the back of the couch. "If he's being mean to you at all, you can tell me, okay? I'll straighten him out," she added menacingly. I could almost see the blue lines on both V3's faces.

"No, that's okay, Onee-san. Kagamine-senpai is being alright."

"Yeah, you heard him, Rin. Now stop scaring the new kids."

She threw darts at me again, before standing straight. "Fine. I'll leave you to your 'male-bonding', or whatever-the-hell you call it. Come on, Tone-chan," she beckoned cheerfully and the violet girl followed. We watched them go. Then I turned my eyes on the kid.

"Yo. Eyes off my sister." I didn't really care; I admit I just did that to make him sweat and blush again, which he did not fail to deliver.

"What's going on outside?" he asked, refusing to look anywhere but at his knees.

"Not a clue, man."

"Can we see?"

"Go see. You can leave if I tell you to."

"No I can't!"

I looked at him funnily. "That's what Kaito always told me. Of course, it was always sending me on ice cream runs. And you have to report right back, anyway, so it really doesn't matter."

"Do you just plan on staying on the couch all day, then?"

"Until someone makes me move." I leaned back again. Then something grabbed my foot and I started sliding off my seat onto the floor.

"What the f*ck was that for!" I yelled, looking up at the kid.

"You said you'd move if forced. Therefore, I forced you." He was smiling about it, too, albeit looking slightly embarrassed and scared.

"Hm." I frowned.

"Well, you're out of the seat. Let's go see, Senpai!"

Absolutely nothing was going on. We got out there and saw all that was happening was the kids were making way too much noise. I looked sideways, ready to chew out the kid.

_You dragged me outside for this?_

But I couldn't bring myself to say it. The weirdest look had taken up residence on his face: sort of half confusion, quarter disappointment, mixed with a quarter of interest at seeing the kids having fun at the world's edge lake. He adopted a smile that grew exponentially. He looked at me excitedly for a half second before it slid off to one of mild surprise.

I finally became conscious of the look I was giving him. It had the angry mouth - open, ready to yell - mixed with widened eyes under a partial scowl. It must've been a weird look. I shook off everything except the scowl, and turned my facial attention instead to Ryuto and Ai building a sandcastle out of silt with Gumi and her V3 in the blue-striped dress (which she was no longer wearing).

"Expecting something else?" I asked off-handedly.

"I thought there'd be more activity." I could tell he really wanted to go out there. I however had no intention. There must've been a loophole I could think of if I had to explain.

"Go."

"What?" He looked back at me. I refused to look directly at him.

"As long as I can see you, it has to count. Now, get out of here." I tried to sound as firm and nasty as I could muster – keep up what I had been doing. What had possibly changed in the last five minutes?

Maybe…but…no, not that. Even if it was, I was not letting him know that.

He smiled broadly and ran off to the shoreline. I watched him go, then was interrupted.

"I didn't think you'd ever move off that couch."

I jumped at the high voice. I looked around to a bright pair of blue-green eyes above a wide grin.

"Don't _do_ that, Miku-nee!"

"Hm. Having fun with the project yet?" she said, backing off.

"Not really." Which was mostly true. I was trying very hard not to enjoy myself. "He's…too happy."

"I'll trade you." A shadow fell over Miku's face. She brushed her teal hair out of her eyes and looked behind her at the wall. Her protégé, an older girl with long, pale blue hair was sitting against it, playing with a blade of grass. "She has one thick shell, Len-kun. _Nothing_ I've tried has cracked it a bit."

"Heard her voice yet?"

"Master showed me a demo. But not from her actual mouth."

"Is it possible she's just a picture and it's not her real voice?"

"No. She's just shy. I've heard her talk, but not sing. The demo sounds a bit higher than her, but I sing higher than I speak, too. From what little she said to me, I can tell she's really nervous about this. Which is _not_ good if she ever makes it to stage."

"No."

Miku sighed. "I'd love the little energy ball. He looks like fun."

"Yeah, well, I don't think Master would be too keen on trading." Neither was I.

"Well, between Meiko-nee and me, we should be able to crack her. You better go catch up with him, though. I doubt anyone would tell on you, but it's a safety thing, you know? Covers both your backs."

I nodded in agreement. She went back to sit with her project. So, I _wasn't_ the only one who wasn't too happy with the assignment.

He was sitting on the shore; his boots were by his side, his bare feet in the water. I sat cross-legged next to him.

"Ah! Senpai."

"You sound so surprised."

He didn't comment on it right away, as I'd expected.

"You didn't look interested. Especially as I had to take you by the foot to get you to move at all."

He laughed. It was a weird sound. I hadn't heard him laugh yet. I hadn't laughed since his arrival. But now wasn't the time.

"It doesn't always take that. Rin got me to move just by talking."

"Yeah, but you knew her: she's your sister. I haven't been very successful in communicating with you at all. And since you're pretty much _all_ I can communicate with…"

"No, that's wrong. Just because you have to follow me and learn from me doesn't mean I'm the only one you're allowed to learn from. Actually," I said in a feeble attempt to regain my hard shield, "I'd prefer you learn from other people."

He went back to staring at the illusion horizon. Then I got an idea.

"Hey, I didn't quite catch your name before."

"Oh…I'm Hibiki Lui, Kagamine-senpai."

"Right." Unless you thought there was _another_ reason I hadn't used his name yet. "Well, Hibiki-bozu," I said as roughly as I could, "I have someone you should meet." He put on a puzzled expression but nonetheless followed me up away from the shoreline, both of us carrying rather than wearing our shoes.


End file.
